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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

"The Euro Diet"

One gets smaller (we hope) and the other gets bigger or at least stays the same..ahem...well as much as possible. You are allowed 1 hot chocolate at Angelina's for only 7 Euros.

Some goodies are allowed after all and here you get bang for the buck. You say you have no discipline?

You will GET discipline quickly!

A $5 impulse ice cream is not longer on the menu. In fact many things have removed themselves from the menu. All patisseries become instant museums. All instant gratification is on vacation. Truly this is the best way to gain WILL POWER while still losing weight. So many character enhancements on "THE EURO DIET" and it's all effortless.

AND this diet costs you NOTHING!

PRICELESS !

On "THE EURO DIET" you never check the scale.

You only check the daily dollar to euro report!

Required reading on "THE EURO DIET" = all menus.

Particularly the right hand side...

One big plus on "THE EURO DIET" is you get to skip long lines = the anticipation, the nervous anxiety of what to choose. Your mind is completely free and clear = Nirvana.

Inside musee patisserie, bountiful art works await you.

Look but don't touch.

Another wall of art at Monoprix. Even the miniature version of a chocolate bar = a no no Not at 12 Euros a pop for this iddy biddy toy choco bar.

Sardines ARE allowed. Only 1.03 Euros with lemon included and you get your Omega-3s to boot.

Window gazing/leche vitrine = TOTALLY ALLOWED.

Fauchon, Angelina, Hediard...

Pierre Herme - the choices are endless in Paris.

Here at KENZO, 2 shoes are 245 Euros. Buying just 1 shoe is 122.50.

Diana Vreeland had it exactly right, as always: "Elegance is refusal"

Just say no to all goodies

And the end result = you leave Paris looking like this or maybe fitting into it. Pourquoi pas?

32 comments:

When we married, we were totally broke. We ate tinned sardines every day for lunch on our honeymoon in France to stretch our meagre money ... it was a long time before I could eat them again, but now they are back on my list of favourite things to eat.

Being broke on holiday in France is better than most other places ... add tomatoes and a baguette to the sardines, and who's complaining? You might even find you've saved enough for a treat from Laduree before you leave

Funny remarks today, Carol.Well, Paris can be so expensive, no matter what currency you use... but with the current trend in the exchange rate, if you see things from this side of the pond, the situation is quite the opposite: it will be much more affordable to travel to the US. I'm planning a visit to NY sometime soon and if the dollar is still that cheap certainly it will help!

Choices, choices..It's all about making choices A good thing in the end.Instead of mindlessly flinging $$$ around, one is forced to decide is it worth it?Do I need it or just want it?I'm actually enjoying the process.

Oui, luxury can be an exercise in what you choose to do without. It heightens the value of those things you do choose. Starting a brand new day in one of the world's most beautiful cities...now that has to be one of the best choices of all times...quelle luxe!! Breathe deeply, make beautiful memories, and thanks for taking us along :) Bon adventure!All best, Jan

I truly enjoy blog, especially the pictures of gorgeous pastries. They look too beautiful to be eaten. I will be in Paris in 3 weeks - I am so excited!!!! Too bad that I will have to be on a EuroDiet as well. Enjoy your stay & have a wonderful time. Thanks again for sharing your adventures.Karen

As a long-time ParisBreakfasts fan and lurker, I am compelled to post this morning--Janice's comment about luxury is right on--and as a Canadian who not long ago had to live with a Cdn/US exchange rate that parallels today's US&Cdn!/Euro rate, I sympathise with you, PB. Deja vu for me! I'll be in Paris (actually!) in less than 2 weeks and am looking forward to my first (and second and third and...) macaron!!Bonne journee, PB/Cheryl

Not sad at all WENDYBJust to vicariously get into the swim of things I went to the new Marie Antoinette exhibit at the Grand Palais and took notes on her diamond necklace for you. Stole a few shots naturally.After all I must keep PB readers happy! MA lost her head over luxe..I shall try to keep mine..though there have been some close calls.I was saved by "right thinking"Well almost...Don't you know there was an adorable LADUREE faux carriage at the end of the exhibit selling MACARONS!I bought only 4 = for research bien sure :)

My last trip to Paris, last year, my daughter and I decided we would go down the list of "Best hot chocolate in Paris" and determine which we thought offered the pinnacle. Angelina's did win our considered vote. HOWEVER, anyone who takes a pass on the Mont Blanc has denied themselves a lovely thing. Truly, it's not to be missed.

Now, for art's sake, probably you need to wait until after Easter, but get up to the 17th for the almond confections! You will have fodder for your palate and your palette beyond compare.

My last trip to Paris, last year, my daughter and I decided we would go down the list of "Best hot chocolate in Paris" and determine which we thought offered the pinnacle. Angelina's did win our considered vote. HOWEVER, anyone who takes a pass on the Mont Blanc has denied themselves a lovely thing. Truly, it's not to be missed.

Now, for art's sake, probably you need to wait until after Easter, but get up to the 17th for the almond confections! You will have fodder for your palate and your palette beyond compare.

But your box collection will suffer terribly!!! Good thing you've learned to make your own! I must join you at once if there is to be any progress on my Chinese New Years Resolutions...no, not Detente (I'm quite proud of my progress there, thank you!) but the one about losing weight. Let's see....I think my goal was 3 pounds....hmmm.....will have to stay at least a month to accomplish that!

I bought a new adorable box yesterday JEANETTE! from Bertillon...little too so it should almost blend in.But how right you are to remind me not to let my Boxology be forgotten...There's a post in that for sure...3 new boxes and the 4th returned because of economics...BIG MERCI :)

Remember the days of the favorable exchange rate? Now it's our turn to tighten our belts. When in Paris last Oct., we were stunned to pay 20 Euros for a very scrawny rotisserie chicken from a little market in a non-touristique neighborhood. That translates to $31 in today's dollars. Ouch! I did lose 9 pounds while there so the Euro-diet works pretty well. Fortunately, there are multitudes of things in Paris to distract one from the painful exchange rate...but nothing could keep me from buying macaroons either so we'll just have to grin and bear it and eat macaroons to ease the pain.

I'll be in Paris in a month - so the U.S. has that long to get it's act together. And if the exchange rate is still the same, I can handle the Euro diet. As long as I can wander around and take photos. And as long as I can afford to finally try a macaron. (or two or...) In fact, when I was in Paris two years ago the rate was almost as bad and I didn't even realize until I was back in the States that I hadn't ONCE eaten anywhere fancy.

Called your apartment purely out of habit today. Little Bear answered, and he was quite Stern.He said, "Madame Carol thinks the U$ dollar is in trouble in Paree! Haaa! Wait until $he gets home!"Have fun while you can, and stick to that diet.

Oh My! $10 for a cuppa cocoa? A couple years ago- when I last was in Paris-things were dear, but we still filled ourselves with baguettes, cheese, pastries and chocolates. Mind you, my "euro" diet always has consisted of local shop's bread and butter, sliced meat and cheeses, pastries-and chocolates. But now, more than ever, I see that it is the requirement, not the choice!! Who can afford to wander into a cafe' anymore and just order what pleases them?

It saddens me so that the dollar is experiencing this downward spiral! I was in Paris for a month last September (when the exchange rate was slightly better) and the only reason I could afford to eat at restaurants was because I stayed for free at one of my best friend's apartment, a little tiny place near Republique. One day soon I hope to go back, the happiest time in recent memory...

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I moved to Paris 2 years ago. I should have done it sooner but that's how the macaron crumbles. Living on the Ile Saint Louis next to the Seine after the 19eme is 'la cerise sur la gâteau'. It doesn't get any better. I've painted watercolors for Bocuse, Champagne Mumm, Guerlain, Frederick Cassel, The Russian Tearoom and the Maharana of Udaipur.
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